Source: More women councillors approved | The Herald
Freedom Mupanedemo
Midlands Bureau
President Mnangagwa has agreed to the proposed 30 percent quota system for women councillors in all local authorities for the 2023 general elections, and the Government is now work on legal instruments to allow for the new development, Local Government and Public Works Minister July Moyo has said.
In an interview on the sidelines of a meeting with traditional leaders in Lower Gweru recently, Minister Moyo said 274 councillors from Zanu PF and the opposition approached the President requesting for reserved seats for women in local authorities, to which he agreed to.
“All the women in councils, 274 of them countrywide, both Zanu PF and MDC-T councillors, asked the President if they can get more seats in councils and the President said ‘well, I will give you 30 percent’.
“But there are processes, so the legal processes have taken place, the implementation and in my understanding, it will be in the 2023 elections,” said Minister Moyo.
He said Cabinet had already approved the proposed instrument and the amendment of the constitution in that regard was now in motion and once the Constitutional Amendment No. 2 is passed by Parliament, the quarter system will be implemented.
The proposed provision was brought about by women who felt they were close to the people and were the most affected by the poor service delivery by local authorities, hence the need for more of them in decision making at local authority level.
The women felt they were not being represented enough, especially considering that councillors were close to the people, and women bear the brunt of poor service delivery offered by councils, especially relating to water, clinics and schools.
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